Crazy for Coconuts!

It has been a long-ish week here at Healthier You, but thanks to one very special discovery that occurred while doing some weekly shopping at Whole Foods Market, it will be ending on a delicious note!

Have any of you ever visited Southern Florida, or Hawaii, or any other such tropical place where fresh, young coconuts can be purchased and enjoyed directly from the trees with a straw? Ohh yummm. When I was in Hawaii, I had one for breakfast every morning. What a way to start the day! Fresh, young coconut is nothing like the dried, brown versions of coconuts that we see in the supermarkets. Young coconuts contain soft, meaty coconut flesh that can be spooned out right into your mouth! They also carry an abundance of fresh coconut water, that is nothing short of perfect hydration.

The closest thing that you can find around here to coconuts such as these, are the young Thai coconuts that are sometimes available in healthfood stores. These coconuts don’t look like traditional coconuts, as the white husk is shaped into a cone-like figure, and the round coconut is protected on the inside, needing to be cut into and opened for enjoyment. My experience with these coconuts has been varied. #1, they are quite difficult to open safely. #2, they are not always easy to find, and are rarely organic. #3, they perish very quickly.

Conventional store-bought coconut waters and milks are never truly pure or raw. They are processed, and often have other components added to them. Even the purest varieties I have found in the past are heat pasteurized. Enter my delicious happy ending to the week: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water! When I looked on the shelf and saw “100% Raw Organic Coconut Water“, I was instantly skeptical, but also intrigued. Of course I picked up a bottle, read every word on the label, and brought one home to try. To my utter delight, it tasted fantastic! And after doing some more research on my own, I discovered the real integrity of the company. In true Lisa form, I went back to Whole Foods, bought a case of the stuff, and am happily sipping on a bottle of it right now! Yummersss. 🙂

Any idea what makes coconut so good for us? Check out these amazing facts:

Coconuts are actually classified as seeds, making them the largest known seeds to man.

Coconut water is identical in composition to human blood plasma!

Coconut water can be used as an emergency replacement for IVs. (how crazy is that?!)

Coconut water is anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-yeast, and anti-fungal.

Coconut water is an excellent source of electrolytes, and is very good for people suffering from dehydration.

Coconut water can be applied topically to treat rashes (and for chicken pox).

Coconuts are a good source of beta-carotene, B-complex vitamins, and minerals.

Coconut milk (made by blending the water and flesh from a young coconut) can be used to relieve sore throat.

Coconut milk has been used successfully in the treatment of stomach ulcers.

Coconut milk compares favorably with mother’s milk, making it a good option for mothers who cannot breastfeed.

Healthy Living Tip: If you know that you will be consuming a larger quantity of something, it is almost always more economical to buy a case of the product or produce. By purchasing a case, I saved about $4.00 here, which is like receiving 2 free bottles of coconutty goodness!

There are already 2 bottles missing since this photo was taken. (And that was just last night 😉

One other thing to note. Sometimes when drinking coconut water, you may notice a light or dark pink hue to the liquid. This is a totally harmless and natural occurrence, due to the amount of phenols in the individual coconut. Here is an excerpt from the Harmless Harvest website, explaining it:

“Our coconut water contains naturally-occurring variations in levels of antioxidants – such as phenols – that will, like in white wine, make it turn pink. This harmless and, we believe, rather delightful coloration has conventionally been deemed cosmetically and commercially unappealing. Vitamin C, a.k.a ascorbic acid, sodium metabisulphites and other hue-suppressing chemicals are traditionally added to prevent this innocent discoloration. Some of these extra ingredients literally change the flavor – think putting lemon in milk – and others might not even need to be mentioned on the label. We know you know that the real world comes in all colors.”

And all of my readers know by now how much I love PINK stuff. 🙂 Pink coconut water? Sounds like it was made for this girl!

Soo, healthy readers, I hope that you will give this company a try. Their coconut water is available at most Whole Foods stores, so be sure to check the closest one near you. For other buying options, you can also refer to their website HERE.

Wow Lisa, we are so glad you spotted our coconut water! It makes us very happy to hear about people enjoying our coconut water, and even better when they share that news and our story with others! Thanks again and glad you like the pretty pink bottles as much as we do!
@Lise in NJ, right now our coconut water is our only product, but follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates about what we’re working on (Hint: look for a larger bottle soon!)

Lisa Testa, M.S.

My name is Lisa, and I am a holistic nutritional consultant in New Jersey. I created my business, Healthier You, in 2008, with the desire to share my knowledge and passion for healthy living with others in an innovative way!